


Dead and Gone

by Larkawolfgirl



Series: Inner Medley [15]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Dialogue, Canon Era, F/M, Friendship, Inspired by Music, M/M, Moving On, Partnership, Plans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:25:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3732202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larkawolfgirl/pseuds/Larkawolfgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Axel wants Roxas back, and he's willing to do nearly anything to do so. Why should he care who gets hurt in the process? However, when he kidnaps Kairi his feelings begin to change.</p><p>Song: Youth by Daughter</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dead and Gone

**Author's Note:**

> I put canon compliant, but I did make a few changes. Nothing major, though.

“Maybe waiting isn’t good enough,” Kairi mumbled to herself.

“My thoughts exactly,” rang an invisible voice. Kairi started around confused.  “If you have a dream don’t wait, act,” the redhead appeared out of a portal of darkness, “one of life’s little rules. Got it memorized?”

“Who are you?” she asked on the defense. Only dangerous people come from the darkness.

“Axel,” he answered nonchalantly.  “I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora’s. Why don’t we go see him?” He reached his hand out beckoning.

“Sora?” She wavered, about to take the bait, when a yellow dog ran up barking. Kairi whirled as a whistle noise filled the air. Silvery creatures surrounded her and another portal of darkness had formed behind her.

“We’ve got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about.” He pounded lightly against his chest, where his heart would be, but the girl didn’t watch. She was mesmerized by the portal instead. “Hey, I feel like we’re friends already.”

Without warning, Kairi took off toward the portal. “You’re not acting very friendly. I won’t let you hurt Sora,” she called as she disappeared.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Axel mumbled ruffling his spiky hair as he scratched at his head.

Since Kairi knew nothing of the worlds, it was a gamble as to where she had ended up, yet Axel was positive that she was in Twilight Town. There was just something about the place that called to people, that spoke of safety; and safety is what Kairi would be looking for.

He materialized in The Usual Place feeling a rush of relief when he spotted the girl there. “I just knew you’d be here.” He spoke calmer than he felt.  “I tell ya, Kairi, you’ve got a lot of guts jumping right into the darkness like that. A normal person would have turned into a heartless in 10 minutes.”

He stepped forward, and was vaguely aware of the two boys (Roxas’ pretend friends) lunging forward. Neither succeeded, stumbling behind him somewhere. The girl just stood immobile, allowing for him to snatch Kairi’s wrist without hindrance.

The princess struggled, of course, but the attempts were weak. “Let go of me! Let go!”

Ignoring her protests he led them into the darkness.

“What do you want with me?” she asked, more calm now that they’d traveled further into the waiting darkness.

“I want Sora, and you are the perfect bait.”

“What do you want with him?” Her eyes sent daggers his way.

“Sora can give me back someone important.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Roxas. You know him right?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Him? Yes, but who is he?”

Axel laughed. “You really don’t know what’s going on do you?”

She stamped her foot hard. “It’s not my fault that no one tells me anything.”

“When you’re little lover boy turned into a heartless, Roxas was created. In order to bring him back I need to do that again.“

She stopped walking, skidding her shoes into the floor. “You can’t! I won’t let you take him from me!” Instead of the anger that he expected, what he saw on her face was despair.

“Sorry, princess. Nothing personal, just what I gotta do.”

“But why? Why Sora? He’s always been such a good person.”

“It has to be him. Hey, I didn’t make the rules.”

“You really care for Roxas don’t you?” She had recomposed herself and was now looking at him quizzically.

Axel glared at the tightness the question stirred in his chest. “I’m a Nobody. Unlike you I don’t have a heart.”

Kairi wasn’t buying it. “Then why are you so desperate to get him back?”

He raised his hands in defeat. “Fine. Okay, I like him, but only because he let me actually feel. All I have now is the memory.”

Her sympathy showed on her face. “I’m sorry, Axel.”

Axel couldn’t believe that her attitude toward him had shifted so quickly. Were all somebodies this understanding, or was this a trait of being a princess of heart? “Then help me.”

He watched as she contemplated her options. “What is your plan exactly?” she asked tentatively.

“Not much more than forcing Roxas back out. But your boy turned back from a heartless once, right? Can’t he just do it again?”

Recognition sparked on her face. “That’s right! If I’m there I should be able to bring him back. Then we can all be happy, right?” She smiled ecstatically. Axel found it odd considering that the problems had yet to be solved, but it was contagious, and soon a smile had set upon his lips as well.

“Well then come on!” she demanded trudging on through the corridor.

They finally exited the darkness entering into a white castle with many wide corridors. Axel led her in various directions until their way was blocked by a blue-haired man. He didn’t look nearly as friendly as Axel.

“Saix,” Axel bit out.

“Axel,” Saix acknowledged emotionlessly. “What are you doing with a princess of heart?”

“None of your business.” He tried to push passed him, but Saix shifted to continue blocking the path.

“Number VIII, I asked you a question. As your superior, I demand an answer.”

“Kairi here is going to bring Sora to us.” The men met glares.

“Good work, number VIII. I will be taking her from here.”

“What?” Axel exclaimed anger in his voice.

“I will not repeat myself.”

Axel summoned his chakrams. In response Saix called the beserkers under his command. The large Nobodies enclosed the three of them in a gapless circle.

Kairi shifted uncomfortably. She clasped onto Axel’s black cloak unconsciously.

Saix closed in so that he was standing right in front of the intimidated girl. He reached for her wrist, but Axel lashed out with his chakram.

“Think carefully before acting here. Is this worth extermination?” Axel flinched and let his chakrams fade away.

Kairi looked back and forth between the two frantically.

“Sorry, Kairi, but he’s right. There’s no point if I cease to exist.” He laughed tastelessly.

Saix’s non-too gentle grasp on her wrist was tightened further as she struggled forcefully.

“No! Let me go!” If what she had directed at the redhead were protests, what she unleashed now were revolts.

Saix snapped his fingers and the beserkers closed in on her-ignoring Axel who was averting his gaze.

Axel regretted losing Kairi, and oddly it wasn’t entirely because of his own self desires. Her expression as she was dragged away had been pitiful, and frankly, as much as he blamed Sora, he didn’t want her to have to go through the loss that he had. Trying to get to him first seemed like the best course of action.

Axel stood waiting in Radiant Garden. It was obvious from the ruckus that Xemnas was stirring up that Sora would be around somewhere. All he had to do was wait for him. Waiting left him time to weight his three options. He could take Sora on, but he would no doubt have backup. He could tell him about Kairi and wait for him to get her back safely, except this relied on the fact that Kairi would still go through with their deal. Or he could team up with him to save Kairi and hope that she would then team up with him in thanks of his rescue. The third seemed the best bet at getting Roxas back, yet it also seemed the most dangerous considering that it meant going against Xemnas to his face.

Finally Sora and his two-animal posse showed. Axel uncrossed his arms and stepped forward.

“Come on, it’s a setup by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using you to destroy the heartless. It’s his big master plan.”

“Xemnas?” the duck asked.

“The guy you just saw. He’s their leader.” He bulged his eyes out in emphasis to how influential a guy he was. “Got it memorized?” he said his signature phrase while pointing to his head. “X-E-M-N-A-S.”

Sora’s mouth relaxed showing that Axel was getting somewhere. Yes, feed him information and gain his trust.

But of course the dog had to push further. “Organization XIII wants to get rid of the heartless?” he asked.

“Man you’re slow.” The Nobody waved a hand. “Every heartless slain with that keyblade releases a captive heart.” He did a mock motion of grabbing a heart. “That is what the Organization is after.”

“So, what are you guys going to do with the hearts?” the duck asked.

“I’m not telling.” At least not yet. He needed to keep some leverage.

The duck was not happy. “Tell us!” he demanded stomping his foot.

“You, you’re the one that kidnaped Kairi.”

Axel was proud. “Bingo. The name’s Axel.” He pointed to himself before repeating his signature phrase.

“Where is Kairi? Please just tell me.” His voice was laden with desperation.

Axel’s face dropped, and he scratched his forehead nervously. Leaning back he said sincerely, “Look about Kairi,” he leaned forward, “I’m sorry.”

“Axel,” came Saix’s voice before the signs of his portal became visible.

“Uh-oh.” Axel summoned his own portal. Self-preservation always came first.

Sora rushed toward him, but Saix’s outstretched arm stopped him.

“We’ll make sure he receives the maximum punishment,” was the last thing the Nobody heard before the portal closed around him.

“It’s no use.” Sora’s voice reached Axel’s ears even before he physically landed in Betwixt and Between.

“Don’t stop moving. The darkness will overtake you,” he cautioned, killing two dusks immediately afterward. His face was dead serious. “Get going!”

“Why?” Sora asked.

“Don’t ask just do it.” Distracted by Sora’s disregard for the urgency of the situation he was ambushed by a dusk. He fell, and Sora rushed over to help, but Axel managed to kill the nearest two before he got there.

“You okay?”

Axel crawled up. Ignoring the question, he spoke the confession that had been plaguing his mind. “I kidnaped Kairi, but she got away from me. After that Saix caught her. He’s a member of Organization XIII. Saix, got it memorized?” It was a sorry attempt at lightening the mood and lacked his usual self-importance. “Now go save her.”

More dusks appeared behind Sora. They floated down to his level, but his instincts alerted him. Turning he slashed them.

“Leave us alone,” Sora demanded.

Staring at the mass of incoming dusks, Axel realized that this was probably the end for him. Even if he managed to escape this, there was the Organization to worry about. Why had he cared so much about Roxas? Now it seemed silly. Hadn’t self-preservation always been his main priority? Yet now he had damned himself for the sake of seeing a blond brat again and was feeling guilty over getting Kairi involved where she shouldn’t have had to.

He fought, ignoring any bruises, it didn’t matter now anyway. He and Sora killed and killed and killed, but they just kept coming.

“Think I liked it better when they were on my side.”

“Feeling a little regret?” Sora filled in for the lightness he had been trying to provide.

“Eeh, I can handle those punks.” There, the lightness had finally come back. “Watch this.”

He leapt toward the core of the mass. Reaching deep within himself he unleashed his inner flames. They burst in a massive wave burning every single dusk.

“Wow!” Axel would have laughed at his excitement if it hadn’t hurt so much.

Sora approached noticing his sorry state now laying on the ground, a few flames still simmering.

 “You’re fading away.” He actually sounded sad.

Strange. Had there just been a flicker of blond, or was he seeing things.

“Well, that’s what happens when you put your whole being into an attack, ya know what I mean? Though Nobodies don’t actually have beings, right?” Dry humor always makes things easier to deal with, right? “Anyway, I digress. Go. Find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot. Sorry for what I did to her.”

“When we find her you can tell her that yourself.”

Forever the optimist. It only made the reality that much more painful. What would Roxas have done in this situation, he wondered. The ever-present tightness in his chest increased.

“Think I’ll pass. My heart just wouldn’t be in it, ya know? Haven’t got one.” He laughed, but his insides felt like they were crying.

“Axel. What were you trying to do?” There it was again, a faint gold.

“I wanted to see Roxas. He... was the only one I liked... he made me feel... like I had a heart.” Fighting hadn’t left him time to focus on his feelings, but they were definitely there; sadness over losing Roxas, regret for abandoning Kairi, hate for Sora, and something indescribable that he felt for the boy. “It's kind of... funny. You make me feel... the same....”

Roxas must be in there somewhere, he realized. He had been stupid. Sora had done nothing. Without him Roxas would never have existed to begin with. Suddenly all he wanted was to thank him for that, to brush his cheek and hope that Roxas felt it in turn, but there was no time.

“Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go..." Mustering the little energy he still had he opened a green swirling portal that would lead Sora to The World that Never Was.

“Axel.” It wasn’t Sora’s voice he heard, but Roxas’, sweet Roxas. A pleasant smile formed on his lips.

“Hi, I missed you.”

“I didn’t want to leave you, you know that right? I had wanted to stay with you forever.”

“Yeah…Funny I can’t remember why you left. Doesn’t matter, though. You’re here now.”

“Axel.” His voice was sad.

“Cheer up, Rox. We can be together now.”

“You idiot.” Tiny tears could be seen on his cheeks, and vaguely Axel noticed that he looked a bit translucent.

“I love you, you know.”

The boy heaved. “You tell me that now? Ha, why does everything have to be so screwed up?” It sounded rhetorical, but Axel answered anyway.

“Not everything. We did have some good time, right?”

“Yeah.”

Axel’s body was fading faster now, bits of black drifting like pieces of ash from a fire.

Axel’s smile faded. “I don’t think I have much time left.”

“Any final requests?”

“Yeah, be happy. One of us should.”

“That’s not fair! Don’t go! I don’t want to be alone!”

Only Axel’s face was left now. “You won’t, never. You have Sora.” Then he faded to darkness.

Lea started at Sora and Riku laughing across the room with a fond expression. When the light hit just so he swore that he could make out Roxas. The boy looked equally happy, though in a different sort of way. It was obvious to Lea that Sora had a thing for his silver haired friend. He often wondered what it was like for Roxas, being trapped inside a distinct personality. Lea and Axel weren’t all that different, so he had merely been remolded.

Before being Axel he’d had his own crushes, past relationships, but now it seemed like Axel’s affection for the blond had been branded on his heart. Not that he would do anything; Roxas was better off with Sora. He was positive of this now as he looked upon the combined grinning face. He just wished that he could talk to him every once in a while, make sure he didn’t feel forgotten or something similar.

It was also weird to think about the fact that Roxas, via Sora, would probably end up being with someone else. How would Roxas feel about that? How would Lea take it? He shook the thought from his head. It didn’t matter. Sora had the right to his life.

Kairi had come by a while ago, but he hadn’t talked with her yet. Leaving the boys to their jokes and antics, he went in search of the girl. He found her sitting on the steps to the tower.

“Hey!” he called raising a hand.

She smiled gently, but didn’t say anything.

He sat down next to her, and they both looked at the scenery in silence for a while.

“I wanted to apologize for what Axel did to you before.”

“It’s fine. I understand wanting to seeing your loved one again. In the end you helped me. I don’t think I would have seen the boys quite yet if you hadn’t brought me there.”

Lea was taken aback by the praise. “Well, I’m glad it worked out then.”

“You don’t still want to go through with the plan?” she asked prodding.

“No. That was Axel’s plan. Lea is capable of selflessness.”

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow.

Lea waved his hands. “Harsh! Okay, maybe I’m still selfish, but he’s better off this way. I see that now.”

“Yeah I think so too. I think Sora’s good for him.”

“Yeah.”

They sat in silence for a long time. “I think Riku’s good for Sora too.”

“Hmm?”

“Come on, you realize they like each other don’t you?”

He frowned at her. “And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Of course it does! It’s just, well they’re my best friends. If I have to give them up to someone, it might as well be each other.” She giggled. “Besides, they can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m ready to tag along this time.” She flicked her newly appointed keyblade with pride.

“Hah, Roxas won’t be getting rid of me either.” He grinned at her donning his own keyblade. Holding their respective keyblades out so that the tips touched, they made a silent vow. Their plan may have changed, but their partnership was still on.

**Author's Note:**

> I have never thought about Lea/Kairi friendship before, but now I think it is a beautiful thing :D


End file.
